With electricity prices rising fast, business takes action to monitor and reduce energy use

Following electricity price increases of 31 per cent in 2010, and then 16 per cent in the past two years, Eskom's next tariff hikes are anxiously awaited, with leaked documents showing that Eskom will be requesting increases of between 16 and 20% in coming years.
In fact, analysts have pointed out that Eskom’s target price for 2017 of 98 cents per kilowatt hour is substantially more than its 2008 tariff of 19.40c per kilowatt-hour. If the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) approves the annual increases needed to achieve Eskom’s 2017 target, it will mean a hike in electricity costs of 400 per cent in the 10 years between 2008 and 2017.
All businesses – especially those with a large number of power-hungry machines such as air conditioners, refrigeration units and electric motors – are looking for ways to manage and save electricity.
Energyrite South Africa has a solution for companies looking to reduce energy costs – a solution that is in use in 50 countries around the world. It is based on a three-tier approach:
Firstly, the Eniscope is a smart electricity meter that can measure power consumption in real time and display the information on the business owner’s laptop or smart phone.
David Douglas of Energyrite explains: “Wasted electricity is usually invisible – losses relating to inefficient electrical installations do not lie around warehouses like damaged goods, even though they hit the bottom line just as hard. Once you begin to measure electricity use as it happens, you can start to manage it much more effectively.”
The built-in analytics of the Eniscope hub make it a powerful business tool for businesspeople to measure peak demand, power factors and electricity consumed in a clear and concise way.
The second step in reducing electricity consumed is to plug any leaks identified by the Eniscope and then to install demand-side devices that can reduce demand without affecting the business’s ability to serve its customers.
Douglas further explains further that “Energyrite is able to install devices for commercial fridges, air conditioners and electric motors that reduce electricity consumption but do not impact on performance. The devices are manufactured in the UK and are in use in 50 countries around the world, ensuring peace of mind that they will deliver savings.”
The third step in a business’s energy strategy is to eliminate the need to be connected to the grid by installing renewable energy sources such as solar or wind. The Eniscope is also able to measure the power generated by the renewable source, so savings made can be measured in real time.
Energyrite is based in KwaZulu-Natal and with its team of energy experts is able to assist businesses in developing an energy strategy anywhere in South Africa.
“Our team brings diverse experience to the table – we have both the technical and commercial skills to assist your business in reducing costs related to energy,” says Douglas.
The Eniscope has been installed in operating environments ranging from farms to five star hotels and supermarkets and the average savings that have been realised are in dramatic – in some cases as high as 30%.
For more information, or an assessment of your business’s electrical efficiency, please visit www.energyrite.co.za or call David Douglas on 083 561 6268.